PH Navy issues challenge vs Chinese Navy ships off Scarborough Shoal 

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Navy said Monday, February 3, that it had “warned off and issued consecutive radio challenges” to three Chinese Navy ships that were stpotted in an area off Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. 

In a statement, the Navy said that the BRP Jose Rizal was conducting regular maritime patrols some 57 nautical miles off Scarborough Shoal, a high-tide elevation located some 120 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales province, when it spotted the three People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) ships. The PLA is the military arm of the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

Among the PLA-N ships that the BRP Jose Rizal monitored was guided missile Jiangkai II Class Frigate, “Dali” (FFG-553). 

“The presence of the PLA-N in the area reflects the People’s Republic of China’s complete disregard for international law and undermines the peace and stability in the region,” said the Navy in a statement to the media. 

Scarborough Shoal is a traditional fishing ground that’s been under the control of China since 2012 following a stand-off with the Philippines.

The 2016 Arbitral Award, which affirmed the limits and extent of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, did not and could not decide on sovereignty claims over the shoal but said that since it was the traditional fishing ground of Filipino, Chinese, and Vietnamese fisherfolk, artisenal fishing should not be restricted by any claimant. 

The Navy’s latest report comes as the civilian Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) noted 30 days of the “China Coast Guard (CCG)’s illegal presence in the waters off Zambales.”

The CCG has been sending ships to sail close to Zambales — as close as 54 nautical miles from the shore — for what China claims as law enforcement operations. The so-called “monster vessel” is among the ships the CCG has been deploying. 

The CCG’s presence so close to the Philippines — and its persistent patrolling of the Philippine EEZ — was discussed during the last Bilateral Consulation Mechanism on the South China Sea between Manila and Beijing in Xiamen, China. During that meeting, the two countries also discussed possible areas of cooperation, including reviving a coast guard communication platform.